Improvement in piano-forte actions



A. DLGE 8L A. GLEITZ.

Piano-Forte Actions.

NO 148678. Patented Marohl7,874.

Zi/WMZ?, fm MM2@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED DOLGE AND AUGUST GLEITZ, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS T() ALFRED DOLGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PIANO-FORTE ACTIONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 148,678, dated March 17, 1874; application tiled February 4,1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, ALFRED DoLeE and AUGUST GLEITZ, both of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in PianoForte Actions 5 and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this speciiication, in which drawing- Figui-e l represents a sectional view of our action when the key is up. Fig. 2 is a similar view of our action when the key is depressed and the hammer is caught by the repetitionlip.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the arrangement of a repetition-lip on the jack, in combination with a button secured to the hammer-butt, in suoli a manner that when the key is fully depressed, and the jack has passed out of the notch of the hammer, the hammer is caught and retained near the string by the repetitionlip and button, and the hammer can be thrown against the string in quick succession by a very small movement of the key. The damper mechanism consists of a bell-crank lever, which has its` fulcrum in an independent rail, and which, when left to follow its inherent gravity, drops in such a position that the damper bears aga-inst the string or strings, while the end of one of the arms of said bell-crank lever rests upon the shank of the halniner, and when the key is depressed, the damper is withdrawn from the strilig or strings, the whole damper mechanism being so arranged that it is entirely independent of the hammer action. The strings are in a vertical plane, and the hammers are so arranged that they drop back by their own gravity.

In the drawing, the letter A designates the key of an upright piano-forte; B, the jack, and C the hammer. Said jack is secured to the shank of the key A, in the usual manner, and it acts upon a notch, a, in the hammer, so that when the key is depressed the hainmer is thrown forward against the string s,

which is placed in a vertical plane. On the jack is secured a lip, b, and if the hammer, after having struck the string, falls back, this .lip catches against a button, c, secured in the butt of the hammer, and by these means the hammer is retained in such a position that it can be thrown against the string in quick succession by a small motion of the key. D is the damper, which is secured to a rod, d, that slides in a rail, E, and is secured to a link, c, which is hinged to the arm f of a bellcrank lever, j' g. This bell-crank lever has its i'ulcrum in a rail, F, which is entirely independent of the hammer action, so that the entire damper mechanism can be removed and reinserted without disturbing any portion of said hammer action. The arm g of the bellcrank lever f g is loaded, so that when the same is left to follow its inherent gravity it bears down upon the shank ofthe key A, and thereby the damper D is pressed up against the string. A button, h, serves to adjust the bell-crank lever and the damper. When the key is depressed, the damper is withdrawn from the string. The link c forms a yielding' connection between the rod d of the damper and the arm f of the bell-crank lever, so that when said arm moves toward the string the rod d will not bind in its guide-rail.

That we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The repetition-lip b on the jack l, in coinbination with a button, c, on the hammer C, and with the key A, constructed and arranged as herein shown and described.

2. The combination of a bell-crank lever, f g, having its fulcrum in an independent rail, F, in combination with the damper D and key A of an uprigl'it piano-torte, constructed and arranged as set forth.

This specification signed by us this 29th day of J anuaiy, i874?. i

ALFRED DOLGE. AUGUST GLEITZ.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. F. KAsTENHUBEa. 

